Jenson Button enjoyed a rather uneventful afternoon for once, and one which rewarded the McLaren driver with a ninth place finish and a few championship points.

As predicted by the former world champion himself, Button struggled early on to maintain a position just outside the top ten before getting pushed down to as low as 14th. He then steadily progressed up the ranks, with his team mate Fernando Alonso in tow, while taking full advantage of the late stage chaos to conclude his afternoon's racing just inside the points.

"It was a long afternoon," said Jenson. "I was a sitting duck in the first couple of laps, as I couldn't fight off the people behind."

"On a one stop strategy the tyres worked just as well on the first lap as they did on the last lap. It wasn't bad. I was racing Fernando for the whole race, which was all I could really do, as all the other cars were quicker. I sort of enjoyed it I guess, crossing the line in P9."

Button once again made due with the limited capabilities of his Honda power unit, well aware that any substantial improvement will have to wait until 2016.

"The power was cutting off fairly early on the straights so it was fairly easy for others to overtake. That was tricky: they were trying to pass me into Turn 13, which is a pretty scary place, especially when you don’t have DRS and can’t gauge the closing speed of the cars behind."

"We did everything right, we stayed out there, did the best we could and we got some points!"

Hamilton close to title after Russian GP win

AS IT HAPPENED: Russian Grand Prix

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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